Marcellis Alexander Counts, is a Newark-based entrepreneur, urban farmer, beekeeper, and community builder committed to creating businesses that serve both people and place. He is the founder of Apian Industry, an urban agriculture company established in 2020 to reconnect communities with food, nature, and practical pathways to ownership.

Marcellis began his entrepreneurial journey during a period when he felt uncertain about his own direction. Rather than allowing his circumstances to define him, he chose to build something rooted in purpose. Through beekeeping, agriculture, food production, and youth education, he found a way to turn personal growth into community impact.

His work includes developing urban growing spaces, producing locally harvested Newark honey, leading workshops and hive tours, supporting emerging food brands, and creating hands-on learning opportunities for young people. He is also developing larger projects focused on food processing, preservation, workforce development, and neighborhood-based food systems.

Guided by curiosity, faith, and service, Marcellis believes entrepreneurship can be more than a path to personal success—it can be a tool for restoring communities, creating opportunity, and building a future people can see themselves in.